Amid the Falling Snow
by shandiss
Summary: Steph's holiday season isn't starting out very well. Will she find someone special under the mistletoe, or will this be the first of many lonely Christmases? Not for Cupcakes. Rated M for language and adult situations.
1. Chapter 1

_They belong to JE, not me. Definitely Babe and definitely __**NOT**__ for Cupcakes. M rating for language and adult situations. All mistakes are mine. Chapter heading quotes from the song of the same name by Enya. This is a short chapter story for the season._

_A million feathers falling down/A million stars that touch the ground,  
_

The first snowflakes hit the windshield two blocks after they left the Trenton PD Holiday Party. Stephanie Plum watched the white flakes dance in the headlight beams, then blinked against the tears that clung to her eyelashes and looked out the window instead. No one said anything in the car; Steph wasn't inclined to rehash the way the evening ended, and Eddie and his wife Shirley were too well mannered to bring it up on their own.

By the time Eddie turned into the parking lot of her apartment building, the snowflakes were closer to snowballs, drifting from the night sky like large fluffy clouds. Steph unsnapped her seatbelt, grabbed her clutch purse and had the door open before Eddie could put the sedan into park.

"Steph!"

Reluctantly, Steph settled back and met his eyes in the rearview mirror. "Thanks for the ride, Eddie. I appreciate your bailing me out of a tight spot."

"What are you going to do now?" he asked. Even though Eddie Gazarra was only related to her through marriage, everyone considered him a part of the family. In Jersey, family looked out for family, and she knew that his question stemmed more from his concern for her than a need to get the latest gossip.

She couldn't help the short, cynical laugh. It had taken her six days to get ready for this party—from the expensive shampoo designed to tame her unruly curls, to the high end silk stockings and designer shoes. _Nothing_ had been left to chance, and when Joe Morelli opened her apartment door, it was to find her primped and prepped to within an inch of her life. If there was one thing Steph knew how to do, it was to turn on the style. When she checked her reflection one last time before walking out with Joe, she knew without a doubt that she was at the top of her game.

"I'm not going to do anything rash," she said. A lump in her throat tried to make her stumble over her words, but she forced it down by sheer stubbornness. "Joe obviously made his choice tonight, and I refuse to take what he's dishing out. If he wants to seduce every single woman in Trenton, then he'd better get busy. He doesn't have a line of credit with me anymore."

"Steph—" This time, Eddie said her name with a mixture of regret and resignation. It made her think of all the other times she had broken up with Joe Morelli, and how many of those times were bookended with her getting back together with him.

_When did I become such a needy, dependent woman?_

A car swung into the lot, its headlights cutting through the snowy darkness and flashing into the interior of Eddie's sedan. It pulled up behind them, close enough that the headlights disappeared behind the trunk. Steph didn't need to see the car or the driver to know who it was. She tensed.

"I can go out and talk to him," Eddie said quietly. "You can slip inside and you won't have to deal with him tonight."

The sigh that escaped her was more than long-suffering. Trust Joe Morelli to not only get caught red-handed making out in a closet with one of the servers, but to then assume the role of the victim. Waiting wouldn't solve anything.

She squared her shoulders. "Thanks, Eddie, but it's best that I finish it myself."

Eddie half-turned in his seat. "Steph, you deserve better. Joe's a good man, but he isn't going to change. Not for you or anybody else."

"I know, Eddie. Trust me, I finally know."

With a tight smile in his direction, Steph slid out of the car. She teetered for a moment on the snow-slicked sidewalk, then regained her balance and closed the door. She took a careful step back, and Eddie drove away.

All traces of amusement vanished when Joe's battered car pulled into the space. The passenger side window rolled down, and Joe leaned over the seat to lock eyes with her. "Get in."

"No." Steph kept her voice soft, but she could feel her spine changing to steel. The white-hot anger that had come hard on the heels of discovering of her date skulking in a closet had congealed into a cold fury. If her Italian temper ignited quickly, her Hungarian half knew how to pour a generous bucket of accelerant on it.

Evidently Joe wasn't able to read her very well, because his face darkened and he threw it into park. He got out of the car, slamming the door hard enough to dislodge the snow gathering on the hood.

Steph waited for him on the sidewalk, her arms relaxed at her sides and her chin raised just a little bit to indicate that she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"Get in the car, Steph. We need to talk and we might as well get it done tonight."

The smile that graced her lips wasn't friendly or warm. "I'm done talking. I'm done with the pressure to change, the lack of acceptance of my choices and the constant insinuations about my job. I'm done with all of it, Joe. Go home and call someone who is willing to put up with your crap, because that person is no longer me."

"Steph, it wasn't what it looked like—" Joe started, but she wasn't about to let him finish.

"Not what it looked like? Morelli, you had your hand on her ass!"

"It _slipped_! You can't be mad just because I happened to be touching her ass at the same moment that you opened the door!" Joe folded his arms across his chest, daring her to make an issue out of something so innocent.

Steph stared at him, her eyes slightly narrowed as she took in his stance and the gleam in his dark eyes. She let the silence stretch out for twice as long as she normally would. Then she nodded. "You're right. I can't get mad about your hand accidentally slipping to someplace that looked worse than it probably was."

"There. You see?" he asked. "You're blowing it all out of proportion and creating a scene where there didn't need to be one."

Anger lent her speed. Before he could step away from her, Steph punched him in the gut. As Joe doubled over, she brought her knee up, fully intending to propel his gonads into his brain. A loud _crunch_ sounded and a spray of blood across the white snow bore testament to her poor aim. Joe went down hard, his hands instinctively going to his broken nose as more blood stained the ground.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked, his voice thick with pain.

"Your other hand up her shirt. _That_ I'm fucking mad about." Steph stared at him until she saw the light of comprehension dawning in his eyes. "Exactly, Morelli. You wanna know how I feel about your tongue down her throat?"

All it took was a half step in his direction, and Joe was scrambling to his feet to put more distance between them. "Jesus, Steph. What's gotten into you?"

"The reality that while you've been busy giving me a laundry list of things I have to change, you've been going along on your merry way, living your life like you've always done." Steph crossed her arms, holding herself tight as a shiver tried to work its way through her body. "I'm going to make it easy for you, Joe. This bakery is _closed_. No éclairs, no Boston Crèmes, no cannoli. Ever."

"You don't mean that."

"The hell I don't." Steph glared at him. Joe Morelli might have the finest ass in Trenton, but too many times all she saw was the _ass_ part. While she herself wouldn't win any prizes as Girlfriend of the Year, she knew that Joe wasn't faithful to her. The only thing a ring and marriage would accomplish would be finally clipping her wings. Joe would still be a Morelli, and Steph would step into the role of the long-suffering wife, tied to home and kids while the husband was out having an after work beer with the guys. Or a girl that caught his eye.

Some of her fury must have finally penetrated his fogged over brain. His cop face slammed down, and he took a step towards her.

"I'll pick up my stuff when you're working." Steph stood her ground, still shaking with the force of her determination. "I'll leave your keys on the kitchen counter."

"You sure you want to do this?" asked Joe, wiping at the blood still oozing from his nose. He winced as the broken cartilage shifted.

"I've never been more sure in all of my life."

"Your mother is going to make your life a living hell when she finds out you ruined the Holiday Party and broke up with me." Joe spoke through clenched teeth, although she couldn't tell if it was from pain or irritation.

Steph smiled and Joe backed up an involuntary step. "My life will be just peachy, Morelli. It's _your_ ass you should be worried about."

"Your mom wouldn't say a cross word to me."

She held up her phone, jiggling it a little bit. "Funny thing about smart phones these days. They take great pictures in low light, and I can upload the best ones to the Web right away. I figure Mary Lou and Connie have forwarded them to about half of their address books by now. By morning, just about everyone in the Burg will know Joe Morelli was caught making out in a closet at the Holiday Party."

His hands clenched into fists and the vein popped out on his forehead. "You wouldn't dare."

"I particularly liked the one where your pants are unzipped." Steph cocked her head to the side. "I'm betting that _your_ mother is going to be _very_ unhappy."

"Shit," Joe muttered. He shoved his hands into his pockets and leveled a glare at her. "That's playing dirty, Steph."

"Really, Morelli? And feeling up some girl you just met while I was chatting up the chief detective and the Commissioner on your behalf wasn't? " Steph put a hand on her hip, her eyes narrowing even farther into a mixture of her mother's disapproving glare and her Grandmother's 'make my day' look. From the way Morelli paled, she judged that she might have borrowed too much from Grandma Mazur. "Just answer one question, Joe. Just once, I want an honest answer out of you."

"I don't lie—" He stopped as she shifted her weight. He tunneled through his hair with one hand and sighed. "Fine. Ask your question."

"Were you planning on getting lucky with me after the party? On the same night that you were playing tonsil hockey with a girl you didn't even know, were you planning on having sex with me, too?"

Joe didn't answer, and Steph wasn't even a little bit surprised by it. Admitting to her that he had no qualms in bedding a stranger and her within hours of each other would have been tantamount to a death wish. Whatever else he might be, Joe Morelli was no fool.

She waited longer than she wanted to, but since this was going to be the final act in their long relationship, she was willing to make the concession. When the seconds dragged by with nothing but the sound of the cars passing on the street and the slight whisper of the wind stirring the snowflakes, Steph shifted her balance.

"I think we both know where this is going to lead," she said. "Go home, Joe. I'm not your problem anymore."

"I suppose you have my replacement already lined up," he said, not quite suppressing the bitterness in his voice.

Steph went still, trembling as her temper went from _Hot_ to _Thermonuclear_. A distant corner of her brain registered surprise that anger could keep her this warm. If it got any hotter, she would probably start melting the snow around her. "I don't need a replacement for you. Having_ nothing_ is better than what you've put me through. I'm going up to my apartment, and I'm going to enjoy that I no longer have to worry where you are, where you've been, and with whom."

His face darkened at her words, but Steph wasn't going to take them back. There was no going back, not anymore. She was more than willing to accept the uncertainty of a future without Joe instead of the dread certainty that a marriage would bring. She couldn't fathom a life where she dreaded his coming home because it meant another lecture about the burned supper, the messy house and the sick kids. Or maybe the dread of finding out that she was pregnant again with a Morelli spawn, and that each kid would be another nail in the coffin of the old Stephanie Plum.

Her chin lowered a little bit, the ominous dip of the head that preceded a bull's lethal charge. "Go _home_, Morelli. Or I swear I will upload the rest of the pictures and send the links to everyone from Stark Street to State Street."

That threat galvanized him. Joe threw her one last glare and stomped back to his car. Steph bit back a giggle as he slid on some ice, windmilled and barely kept his balance. In fact, she was proud that she managed not to show any reaction at all until Joe's car fishtailed out of the parking lot and onto the road. As the growl of the engine faded into the late winter's night, she threw her arms wide and lifted her face to the sky, feeling the tiny kisses of thousands of snowflakes on her face.

She didn't hold the pose for long; it was still December, and snowing, and she wasn't exactly dressed for the weather. Steph carefully walked up the sidewalk to her apartment building, and breathed a sigh of relief when she stepped inside the warm, fluorescent-lit confines of the lobby.

There was no question of her walking up the stairs in her heels, so she slipped them off and skipped up the flights in her stocking feet instead. It was an outrageous, flighty, impulsive thing to do, and guaranteed to put holes in the expensive nylons. Steph didn't care. The occasion of her new freedom required some acts of random impulsiveness, and this was a good place to start.

The keys in her hand jangled in the quiet of the hallway as she unlocked her door. Steph flipped on the foyer light and set her clutch on the table as she passed through. She shimmied out of the dress on her way to the bedroom and threw it onto the chair in the corner. The shoes flew after it, landing with twin _thuds _in the darkness. Grabbing her comfy sweats, Steph went into the bathroom to peel away the layers of makeup and hair spray.

Less than fifteen minutes later she emerged, her hair in a messy ponytail and her ratty, faded sweats concealing her figure as much as the dress had enhanced it. Her mind was focused on her next move, and she wasn't going to be stopped. Not tonight.

_Thank God for microwaves_, she thought as she set water inside to boil. She rummaged through her cupboards for a particular oversized mug, a large spoon and a canister. Steph spooned in five times the suggested amount of hot cocoa mix, grinning with anticipation of the thick, syrupy concoction. Her mother and Valerie cringed whenever she made her special recipe, complaining it was too much like drinking liquid fudge. Grandma Mazur, on the other hand, always ordered a double.

The microwave beeped at her and Steph did the honors, pouring the boiling water carefully while she stirred the gooey powdered mess. She snapped off the lights and made her way to the living room by the glow from the parking lot. After setting the mug on the coffee table, Steph turned one of the chairs around to face the window and draped a warm throw around her shoulders. With a satisfied sigh, she curled up in the chair, the, her mug in her hand, and nothing between her and the snow but her thoughts.

Steph sipped the hot cocoa and watched the snowflakes dance in the air between the light and the darkness. The only thing missing was the Christmas carols playing softly in the background.

The locks on her door clicked and turned, and Steph took another sip of her cocoa.

_Make that two things missing . . ._


	2. Chapter 2

_They belong to JE, not me. Definitely Babe and definitely __**NOT**__ for Cupcakes. M rating for language and adult situations. All mistakes are mine. Chapter heading quotes from the song of the same name by Enya. This is a short chapter story for the season._

_Amid the Falling Snow_

_The silence of a winter's night/Brings memories I hold inside;  
_

In the silence of the apartment, Steph could hear her own breathing. She could feel the warmth of the mug seeping into her skin. And she could feel an electrical charge caress the back of her neck and light up her body like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

She waited until she judged that Ranger had emerged from the short hallway that served as her foyer. "Little late for visiting, don't you think?"

"You weren't supposed to be awake," he answered, his voice soft.

Steph twisted around in her chair, shifting so she was sitting sideways. "I just got home."

Ranger moved a little farther into the room, and the light from the parking lot revealed the wrapped box he held.

"Wait a minute." Steph zeroed in on the package, her eyes narrowing. "What are you carrying? Were you trying to sneak something in here when you thought I wouldn't notice?"

"Babe, I don't sneak." He held out the present out to her. "Ella's been baking Christmas cookies. She made up a box for you."

Astonishment and ecstasy struck her dumb for a moment, but it certainly didn't impair her ability to snatch it out of his grasp. Ranger retreated a few steps as she tore off the wrapping and dived into the contents.

"Mmf ahryoo 'ooing?" Steph said, her mouth full of krullers.

Trust Ranger to be able to understand her, even in the presence of excessive sugar. "Staying out of range. I didn't know if your knee has a grudge against all men tonight or just the ones named Morelli."

Her good mood dimmed, and Steph rummaged through the layers of cookies to find something large and covered in chocolate. She bit into one tentatively and her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head as the confection melted in her mouth with delightful layers of flavor. "Oh my God, I love Ella."

"Try the little green ones," Ranger said.

Steph squinted and saw something green peeking between a frosted sugar cookie and a date ball. She delicately teased it out and nibbled. Cream cheese, sugar and a hint of mint tickled her tongue, and she devoured the rest of it.

"Oh, these are perfect. D'you think Ella would adopt me? I'd do my chores every day without ever being reminded." Steph picked out a sugar cookie. "I'd do _anything_ if she would make more of these for me."

"Anything?" asked Ranger. He sat on her couch, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Even though he was a good five feet away from her, she could feel the intensity of his gaze. Steph forced herself to keep chewing.

"Stephanie."

_Crap._

"Ranger," she answered, grabbing another chocolate confection and stuffing it in her mouth.

His soft laugh made her ears and her toes warm, and heated up a few other places in-between. Steph tried to focus on the cookies, but not even Ella's legendary skill in all things food could compete against the lethal Manoso charm.

"You said 'anything'," he said. "What would you do for another cookie box?"

"Nothing illegal, immoral or indecent," Steph said primly. She held up a finger. "Nope. Do _not_ tell me that I have no idea about having fun. I am having fun right now, right this instant, with a box full of Ella's cookies. Don't mess with me."

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ranger paused for a moment. "Even though you haven't come back to work at RangeMan, I never took you off the payroll. You're still listed, and you can come into work at any time."

Steph swallowed a mouthful of fudge. "While I'm grateful that you haven't fired me yet, I don't see how that affects Ella's cookies."

"The RangeMan holiday party is the Saturday night after Christmas." Ranger looked down at his hands. "I'd like it if you would join us."

Steph felt her mouth drop open. "Is that a joke? Because I'm pretty sure I'm not laughing."

"Babe."

"No," Steph said. She set the cookies down next to her mug of cooling cocoa and stood. "I just had a night from hell because Joe Morelli couldn't keep it in his pants. _Once again_, everyone knows that Stephanie Plum can't hold a guy's interest longer than the appetizer course."

"Babe, hear me out." Ranger got up and closed the distance between them. He grasped her upper arms gently, turning her so she faced him. "Yes, I know about the party. The entire city of Trenton knows about it."

"Great. Too bad I didn't get video of the aftermath," Steph muttered. She wasn't entirely displeased with the effectiveness of her impulsive plot to teach Joe a lesson. She just wished she could learn how to avoid being dragged into the fallout.

Ranger's hands tightened a little. "Lester and Vince were in the ER with a skip when Morelli came in. Santos uploaded the video to YouTube."

"Bless Lester's twisted little mind," said Steph. "That still doesn't explain why you want me at the RangeMan party. For all you know, I'll be responsible for exploding crab cakes and a sewer main break."

"Sounds like fun," said Ranger, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Not if you're the one my mother is yelling at," Steph muttered. She moved away from Ranger and picked up her cookie box. "Do you need to know tonight? I'm partied out, and I'm tired."

Tears stung her eyes and she blinked rapidly, trying to keep them from falling. The thought of Joe made her angry all over again, and it made her sad, too. In spite of her brave words, Steph still felt the betrayal. Their relationship had been more intermittent than steady, but Joe had been a significant part of her life.

"Why were you sitting in the chair when I came in?" asked Ranger softly. There was a note in his voice that made her heart give a strange little lurch.

Steph ducked her head, suddenly embarrassed by her impulsive whimsy. "When I was a little kid, I would bundle up in a blanket and sit by the window at night, after everyone was asleep. The snow seemed like something magical. It floats, drifts or swirls, whichever way the wind moves. Sometimes I wished I was a snowflake."

Ranger studied her for a long moment, long enough that Steph's face grew hot with embarrassment. She turned away from him. "Never mind. It's a stupid, childish thing and—"

Strong arms wrapped around her, and before she could even draw breath to shriek in surprise, she was hoisted off her feet.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

Her voice left her when Ranger sat down in her vacated chair, his arms a warm and comforting circle around her. Steph froze, then started to scramble to her feet. She didn't get very far. Ranger snagged her again and sat her down on his lap, this time grabbing the forgotten throw and pulling it around her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" repeated Steph in a whisper.

"I'm watching the snow fall with you," Ranger said simply.

He rested his chin on the top of her head, his breath whispering through her hair like the gentle fingers of a lover.

For her part, Steph held herself as still as possible. She was all too aware of the man wrapped around her like a human blanket, and that awareness was starting to do _very_ nice things to her body. "Ranger, I—"

"Sshh. Don't say anything." Ranger held her tightly enough that she could feel the steady beat of his heart against her back. The rhythm was mesmerizing, and her traitorous body relaxed in spite of herself, sinking into his embrace.

Time passed, measured only by Ranger's breathing and her own as it slowly synced to his. Her eyes grew heavier and her head shifted against his shoulder as the tension drained out of her body.

"Falling asleep on me?" he asked.

"Mmm."

Ranger kissed her ear. "Go ahead and sleep. I'll keep the bad dreams away."

"What, no warnings about my fondling you?" Steph smiled a bit to herself, even as she hovered on the edge of slumber.

"Nope." Ranger kissed the shell of her ear, then nipped at it. "You've had a rough day. If it cheers you up, feel free to fondle."

"Taking one for the team?"

"Nope. Just for you." Ranger settled her more firmly into his arms. "I'd do anything for you, Babe."

"Even have dessert at the RangeMan holiday party?"

He went still and Steph could tell that she had surprised him. _Ha, not as far asleep as you thought, huh, Batman?_

Ranger sighed, a near-inaudible sound that she felt more than heard. "Yes, if you decide to attend, I'll make sure that dessert is on the menu."

"_Chocolate_ dessert," Steph insisted. "Something that is rich and completely horrible for me, but tastes so good that it's worth it."

"That's a pretty tall order, Babe. I might have to make adjustments to the rest of the menu so everybody doesn't go into sugar shock."

"No tofu!" Steph leaned back so she could see his face. "That would be _so_ wrong for a holiday party. No tofu dressing, or tofu potatoes and absolutely no tofu turkey."

"Babe—"

"And God help you, Carlos Manoso, if you try to sabotage my dessert by making it with tofu."

_That _startled a laugh out of Ranger, and Steph had to close her eyes at the sight of Ranger laughing at her passionate declaration. He was just too sexy for his own good, and when he let her inside his personal space to see the private side of him, all of the defenses around her heart melted away.

"No tofu," he said finally, and punctuated the promise with a gentle kiss on her lips. "Ella will handle the menu change, and I promise I won't say a word about healthy food."

"Good. I'm not getting a whole new outfit for a party if I have to worry that everything I eat is good for me." Steph wriggled a bit to work out stiffness in her lower back, then froze as Ranger muttered something in Spanish. "I had a muscle cramp."

Ranger cleared his throat. "You're going to be the death of me if you keep it up."

"But—"

That was the only word she managed to get out before Ranger kissed her again, this time hard and possessive. Fire blazed through her veins and Steph shifted again, this time to turn completely around and loop her arms around his neck. She settled onto his lap and smiled as she discovered exactly how much Ranger liked what she was doing.

"You want me bad," she whispered against his lips, and pressed a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth.

Ranger closed his eyes, tilting his head back as Steph planted tiny kisses across his jaw and down his throat. "Yes. Very bad."

"Good. I'm not interested in a one-sided relationship ever again." She took a tiny bit of skin between her teeth right above his collarbone, then soothed it with her tongue.

Her efforts were rewarded with a deep groan from Ranger. He sucked in a breath when Steph nibbled across his throat and repeated her treatment on the other side. Then Ranger pulled away from her, his breath coming hard through clenched teeth.

"God, you are amazing," he whispered, his chest rising and falling as he fought for control. "I give you an inch and you drive me completely out of my mind."

Steph grinned. "Give me another inch and I'll make you forget which mind you brought with you."

"I'd love to give you—" Ranger stopped and gave his head a little shake. He closed his eyes and took a deep cleansing breath. "I want you, Steph. Never doubt it."

"You've made that perfectly clear," Steph said.

"But we're not going to do this tonight."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You have five seconds to persuade me that you have very good reasons for turning me down."

"This is going to be a long term relationship, and I want to start it right." Ranger framed her face with his hands. He looked at her for a long moment, then leaned in to give her a soft kiss. "I don't want you to be the topic of gossip if you break up with Morelli tonight and are seen with me the next day."

"They'll think you're the rebound." Steph cringed inwardly at Ranger's expression. "You don't want to be the rebound."

"You won't need a rebound. You are an amazing, desirable woman who will take this opportunity to grow professionally and personally."

Steph almost snorted at that, but the intensity of Ranger's gaze stopped her. The air crackled around him, and the sheer power of it scared her, even as she envisioned what he described. "You seem pretty sure that things are going to go as planned, and not get messed up simply because I'm involved."

"I'm very sure that you can do anything you want," he said. "Plus you will have all of the back up and support that you need. You won't be in this alone."

"And then?" asked Steph.

Ranger kissed her again, this time with a lot of tongue. The magic he worked with his mouth was irresistible; by the time he drew back, _she_ couldn't remember which brain was hers.

"Then I will show everyone in New Jersey how much I love you," he whispered. "It all starts here, tonight. Just say the word, and I will be beside you the whole time."

Steph thought about the ruined Trenton PD holiday party, Joe Morelli and the Burg. She thought about her work as a Bonds Enforcement Agent, and the side jobs she did for RangeMan. Through it all, she saw Ranger generously giving her his courage, strength and experience. She knew she could do it on her own, but Ranger made it even better.

She met his gaze. "Yes. I want to fly."


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you to everyone who is reading this little story. I appreciate each and every one of you. _

_They belong to JE, not me. Definitely Babe and definitely __**NOT**__for Cupcakes. M rating for language and adult situations. All mistakes are mine. Chapter heading quotes from the song of the same name by Enya. This is a short chapter story for the season._

**_Maybe I am falling down/Tell me should I touch the ground?_**

The alarm went off at 6:30 AM. Steph didn't bother to open her eyes. With the consummate skill honed over years of ignoring the daylight until a decent hour, Steph flung her arm out and nailed the OFF button with pinpoint accuracy.

She snuggled into her pillow, drawing the blankets higher as she settled in for another hour of blissful sleep.

"That's not going to help you, Babe."

Steph's answer involved one hand and an all-purpose Jersey gesture. Ranger's laugh echoed through her small bedroom and she rolled over to find a more comfortable position.

Ice cold hands slid around her back and whisked her off the bed. Steph shrieked, struggling to get away from the frozen, wet fingers that were clinging to her bare skin like an octopus with separation anxiety.

Ranger let her go once she was upright and wide awake. He retreated to the doorway, the grin on his face ample testimony that he enjoyed this far too much and dripping hands that gave evidence as to how _this_ had happened.

"Snow?" Steph narrowed her eyes, her hands automatically going to her hips. "You are in so much trouble, mister."

"Prove it," he said, leaving the doorway and taking a definitive step into the room.

She dithered. Ever since the disastrous Trenton PD holiday party two weeks ago, Ranger had been true to his word. He kept a professional distance in public, but made sure she was up every morning to work out and that she had back up on every skip. Every evening Ranger would throw practice scenarios at her, helping her see alternatives and possibilities. And every night she fell asleep in the chair with him, watching the dark sky outside her window and whispering about things that she never had the courage to say in the daylight.

But two weeks of training didn't mean she was ready to take on Ranger. As he took another step into the room, his eyes darkening ever so slightly, Steph gave a startled yelp and bolted for the bathroom. His laughter followed her, and she slammed the door shut.

Her own smile didn't come out until she locked the door. Looking in the mirror, she saw not only the smile big enough to qualify as a full-out grin, but the sparkle of delight in her eyes that had no right to be there this early in the morning.

_Oh, who am I kidding? Early morning, late night—I'll take whatever time I can get with him._

Now that she was in the land of the awake if not the living, it didn't take her long to get through a fast version of her morning routine. Gone were the days of leisurely showering and primping; Steph had too much to pack into each day to take time on makeup or hair that wouldn't last beyond the first hour.

The sound of a blender greeted her as she hopped into the living room, trying to put her shoes on. Ranger came around the corner with two large glasses of something bright orange and offered her the one with the bendy straw.

"What is it today?" asked Steph. She knew better than to sniff at the glass. If there was wheatgrass in the mix, she didn't want to know until after it hit her stomach.

Ranger grinned at her and planted a kiss on her temple. "Peaches, Greek yogurt and ice cubes with protein powder. I'm going easy on you today."

The eye roll was tiny, but it was there. Steph took a sip of the smoothie and let the coolness slip down her throat. "Not bad, Batman. So what is this going to cost me? An extra mile on the treadmill? Extra hour on the mats?"

"It's Christmas Eve, Babe," said Ranger. "Consider it an early present you don't have to unwrap."

"When do I get the present I want to unwrap?" The question popped out completely uncensored, and Steph instantly cursed the hormones that knew exactly what they wanted from Santa this year. Those thoughts made her flush, and she fussed with her straw, cleaning up the last bits of her smoothie.

Ranger tipped her chin up with a gentle finger. "Don't ever think that I wouldn't enjoy finding you under the mistletoe, Stephanie. If it's possible, the last two weeks have made me love you more. You've added perseverance to your list of admirable qualities, and your sense of humor never fails."

"But—"

He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. "Morelli seems to have ideas about you, and I want you to have the freedom to dictate your own life."

"What if I went back to Morelli?" Steph asked the question, even though she had no intention of doing just that. She should have figured it out after running over Joe with the Buick all those years ago: doing physical damage to a man effectively ended any chance of a healthy relationship, no matter how much either party wanted it to work.

"I'd let you go," said Ranger softly. "It would hurt, but if that is what you want, then I'd step aside."

Impulses were sometimes a fine thing. Steph slammed into Ranger, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him with every ounce of conviction she possessed. He caught her easily as he returned the kiss with unbridled ferocity.

Predictably, Ranger was the one who regained control first. He smiled against her lips, kissed her again, and let her slide to the floor. "Dios, Steph. When you do that I forget I ever had an honorable intention in my life."

"Then I need to do it more often," she whispered fiercely. "I'm not going back. The life that Joe wants for me suits _him_. The life that you want for me is _mine_. And what I want in my life is _you_."

The kiss this time was achingly sweet and tender. Ranger gathered her even closer, wrapping his arms around her until she was completely surrounded by him.

"Someday," he whispered. "Someday we will be ready for the next step, and we will be together."

"Soon," she whispered back. "That someday is going to be very, very soon."

Ranger smiled and kissed her again. Then he carefully released her and made sure she was steady on her feet before taking a step back. "Yeah, it is going to be soon, Babe. I want to give you as much time as it takes, but there are limits to my control. Being around you every day is making me question exactly how long I want to hold out."

"Let me know when you're having problems," Steph said. "I want to clear my schedule for the rest of the week."

"You mean day."

"Nope, week. While you've been shredding your self-control, I've been thinking up every possible way I can take advantage of you when your control finally breaks." Steph gave him a perky smile and took her empty smoothie glass into the kitchen. There might have been a groan from the living room, and her smile became an all-out laugh when she remembered the times that she had driven Ranger to thunk his head on filing cabinets and steering wheels.

Her amusement changed in a heartbeat when strong, warm arms wrapped around her from behind. Ranger put his chin on her shoulder. "You're laughing at me, Babe."

"Nope, not me. I know what happens to people stupid enough to laugh at you." Steph snuggled against him, unable to contain a wicked chuckle when she came into contact with the cause of his current discomfort. "I was laughing in anticipation of how much fun I'm going to have. I'm laughing at how people will finally see that I know who I want, and _you_ are the one who makes me happy."

"I'll do my best, but—"

Steph turned around and put a finger on his lips. "That's all any of us can ask, Ranger. I'm more than confident that your best will make me deliriously happy for the rest of my life. I can only hope that I can do the same for you."

Ranger rested his forehead against hers. "You will. You already do."

"Good. Because I—"

This time it was Ranger who interrupted her, and the kiss he laid on her was hot enough to melt her brain cells. Steph clung to him, partly to keep him from breaking off the kiss, and partly to keep herself upright. She was almost to the point where she couldn't remember her name when Ranger finally backed away.

"What was that for?" she asked, dazed.

He smiled. "Inspiration. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can come up with when you have serious motivation."

For a long moment, they locked gazes, then by silent agreement both took a cautious step back. Steph grabbed onto the counter behind her and concentrated on taking deep breaths. It was comforting to see that Ranger was breathing as heavily as she was.

A soft beeping broke the silence, and Ranger glanced at his watch. "I'm sorry, I've gotta go. Client meeting at 7:30."

"On Christmas Eve?" asked Steph.

He grimaced. "Emergency meeting. Security breach at an estate in Mercer. They want to upgrade before their party on New Year's Eve."

"Children?"

"No." Ranger glanced at his watch again. "Second marriage to a trophy wife. Husband takes a lot of trips overseas and she's nervous being on the estate alone."

Steph followed him into the living room, watching as Ranger picked up his jacket and shrugged into it. "Well, go easy on the eggnog today, Batman. Don't need a hangover for tomorrow."

"Babe, c'mere." He snagged her around the waist and bent her back as he kissed her soundly. She was breathless by the time he set her upright again, but she retained enough wits to stay on her feet. "I'll try to swing by after work, but—"

"I'll be at my parents'," Steph said. "Early supper and then Christmas Eve Mass. Valerie's helping with the children's choir this year, and Angie and Mary Alice are singing."

Ranger caught the slightly sour expression she added to the recitation. "Problem?"

"Only that practically the whole Burg will be there, and I'll be dodging questions all night as to why I haven't gotten back together with Joe." Steph scuffed her toe on the worn carpet. "If people can't handle that I make my own decisions, then the busybodies will have to live with the disappointment."

"That's the Stephanie Plum I know and love," he said, and pulled her in for a hug. "You'll be fine."

"Yeah, but this might just be the year I break the Burg," Steph muttered. Ranger flashed her a grin and she stuck her tongue out at him, confident that he didn't have enough time to do anything about it.

A minute later Steph was lying on her bed watching the bedroom door close behind a smug Cuban Sex God. It took a few more minutes to retrieve her mind from the farthest reaches of space but only five seconds to make the mental note that Ranger didn't need much time to get _very_ even.

The ringing of her cell phone broke the silence in the apartment, and Steph dragged herself off the bed to answer it. She checked the Caller ID and rolled her eyes even as she answered it.

"Hi, Mom."

"Stephanie, I need your help. Have you left your apartment yet?"

She didn't even glance at the clock. "Mom, it's almost 7:30 in the morning. Of course I haven't left yet."

Her mother snorted. "Don't get smart with me, young lady. Everyone knows you've been leaving before 7:30 every morning except Sundays for the last two weeks and entering that building on Haywood Street. It's a fine thing when a mother has to find out what her daughter is doing from the shop girl at People's Bakery."

Steph's left eyelid twitched, and she put a finger on the annoying tic. "Yeesh, I can't even jaywalk without the entire Burg talking."

"If you would get a job like everybody else, they wouldn't have anything to talk about," her mother said primly. "As long as you are picking up criminals and shooting your gun, people are going to be interested in what you are doing. Now, are you still at your apartment?"

Steph thunked her head against the wall, staring at the floor in defeat. "I haven't left yet. Since it's Christmas Eve today, I'm swinging by the bonds office for a while and then I have some last minute shopping before supper tonight."

"Good. I called Giovichinni's Meat Market and reserved a smoked ham. Pick it up before lunch and come to the house. Your grandmother needs a ride to the Clip 'n Curl and Valerie asked me to watch the girls while she's helping to decorate the church." Helen Plum hummed a bit to herself. "You can take your grandmother shopping when she's done. She said something about needing gifts for her secret Santa."

"Sure, Mom. I'll rearrange my schedule and be there for lunch."

"Don't forget the smoked ham!"

Steph sighed. "I won't forget. See you later."

She heard the phone disconnect, but she didn't move for a long time. While she loved her grandmother, fighting through the last minute shoppers with her to find gifts was not something that she looked forward to with any relish. Grandma Mazur was feisty and stubborn, two traits that she had passed to her granddaughter, but she also tended to ignore the consequences of her actions until confronted with them.

"I guess that apple didn't fall far from the tree, either," Steph murmured. She straightened up and mentally brushed off her hands. Then she took a deep breath and tried to absorb Ranger's strength and confidence. If she closed her eyes, she could see him standing in her living room, and hear his voice.

Calm flowed into her, and she let go of her worry and stress.

_Everything is going to work out just fine . . ._


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you to everyone who is reading this little story. I appreciate each and every one of you. _

_They belong to JE, not me. Definitely Babe and definitely __**NOT**__ for Cupcakes. M rating for language and adult situations. Food and drink warning—Grandma Mazur appears in this chapter and I don't want to be responsible for any damaged keyboards or monitors. All mistakes are mine. Chapter heading quotes from the song of the same name by Enya. This is a short chapter story for the season._

**_Maybe I won't make sound/In the darkness all around.  
_**

"Helen never listens to me. I said I had to go to Victoria's Secret so I could find me an outfit for seducing Santa." Grandma Mazur slid her upper dentures around a bit, completely oblivious to Steph's expression. "The way I figure it, he needs to expand his toys for adults and I'm the person with the most expertise, if you know what I mean."

"Grandma—" Steph swallowed hard.

"Keep up, will you? I need to find the outfit and then work on my seduction skills. I'm pretty sure that Margie Burczyk has designs on Kris Kringle and means to get to him first. Good thing I'm energetic for my age. No way the old elf would pick her over me."

Steph forced herself to walk faster, thinking that perhaps if she got out in front of her grandmother that she could avert any catastrophe before it started. Then the crowds parted in front of her and she realized she was way too late.

"Yoo hoo!" Grandma Mazur stuck her hand in the air and waved it furiously at the mall Santa. "Better rest up, lover boy! I've got something tiny and red just for you, and I'll be wearing it under the mistletoe!"

The poor man blanched and nearly upended the toddler on his knee. The helper elves took one look at Grandma Mazur and scattered, the tiny bells on their shoes and hats chiming like mad xylophones.

_Inspiration don't fail me now_, Steph thought grimly. She threw an arm around her grandmother's bony shoulders. "Grandma! Don't tip off the competition!"

She looked around furtively. "Good idea, Steph. No sense in alerting the enemy, right? Maybe we should be wearing disguises or something."

"We'll just act normal and blend in. They'll never notice us." Steph steered her towards the Victoria's Secret storefront. While she was pretty sure that she was pointing the bull in the direction of the Waterford crystal, she also figured that it was better than the slow drip of dread, imagining all of the worst possibilities. Far better to get the waiting over.

"Isn't this nice," Grandma Mazur said as they crossed the store's threshold. "I always think that shopping here is like unwrapping one of those assorted chocolate gift boxes. You never know if you're going to get any nuts when you bite into one."

"Grandma!" Steph was trying her best to keeping an eye on her grandmother, but she was distracted by a display of sheer lingerie.

"Ooh, I haven't seen these before!" Grandma Mazur darted towards a table filled with silky tops in every color imaginable. She held one of the tops to her chest. "What do you think? Should I get one of each?"

Steph glanced around and nearly did a happy dance when she saw the neighboring display. "Hey, they have coordinating boy shorts. Why don't you pick out a set in a classic color and then something that shows your wild side? You can decide which one to wear at the last minute, depending on your mood."

Her grandmother's eyes lit up. "Good thinking! Should I try them on? I don't want to get something that's too big and might hide my assets."

"Sure, go ahead. I'll wait for you out here." Steph picked out one red and one leopard print outfit and laid them carefully in Grandma Mazur's arms. She relieved her grandmother of her purse and slid her arm through the handles. It weighed enough that she deduced the Colt .45 still lurked in its depths, but she wasn't going to rat out her grandmother. If nothing else, the added weight made the purse a proper weapon for fending off attacks.

Her phone buzzed and Steph juggled her armload so she could see the screen.

_Babe are you busy?_

She glanced from the screen to where her grandmother was heading into the changing rooms. It only took that microsecond for the imp of the perverse to take control. "Hey, Grandma. Wait up."

Somehow, Steph managed to type as she was weaving through the crowd of shoppers. _I'm at Victoria's Secret looking at lingerie._

A wicked smile lit her face as she hit Send. If she knew Ranger at all, he wouldn't be able to resist the challenge. She could see the lazy grin lighting his face as he read her text and the gleam that would sparkle in his dark eyes as he answered.

_Pictures or it didn't happen, Babe._

"Do you want to try one?" asked Grandma Mazur.

Steph shook her head. "No, but I need your help. Ranger doesn't believe me that we're shopping for lingerie. Do you mind if I send him a picture to prove it?"

"I'll go get changed right now!" Grandma Mazur pumped her fist in the air as she turned towards the changing rooms.

"Wait, I have a better idea," said Steph. "Why don't you hold it up in front of you instead? Then I can get a couple pictures with each color."

The red outfit sailed through the air and landed on a nearby chair. Grandma spotted the triple mirrors and beckoned to Steph. "Over here. That way he can see the whole package, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, I know exactly what you mean," Steph murmured as she checked the settings on her camera phone. No doubt there would be serious payback for this, but she was willing to risk it. After all, Ranger still owed her big time for the icy wakeup call this morning.

Grandma Mazur struck a high fashion pose as she held the lingerie top against her chest. The mirrors behind her hid absolutely nothing, and Steph was very careful to line up the camera so it didn't include _her_ reflection in the picture. The smirk would be a dead giveaway and only make Ranger's retribution worse.

"Got it," she said as the camera app processed the image. "Did you want to do the red one next?"

"Sure! He won't know what hit him when he sees how hot I look." Her grandmother chose another pose this time, and Steph snapped the picture quickly.

After shooing Grandma Mazur into the changing rooms. Steph settled into one of the empty chairs. She renamed the picture files Lingerie 1 and Lingerie 2, then attached them to a blank text message. The grin she couldn't keep in only grew as she hit Send.

Steph settled into the chair a little bit more, getting comfortable as she thought about the last two gifts she needed to buy before supper. She'd already delivered gift certificates for a day spa to Connie and Lula this morning. They'd presented her in turn with a gift certificate to Sunny's to replace the ammo she'd been burning through at the firing range. Then they'd demolished a cookie tray before she had to leave.

Her phone rang and she glanced at the readout as she tapped the button to answer. "Hey, Tank! What's up, Big Guy?"

"Bomber, you are a cruel woman," he said, laughter very much evident in his voice.

"What'd I do?" she asked. "I'm just sitting here waiting for my grandmother."

His deep laugh boomed over the connection. "I haven't seen Carlos turn that white since he jumped over a cliff with a busted ankle and dislocated shoulder. He glanced at his phone, paled and then bolted out of the room."

"Sorry. Is he okay?" Steph glanced up as Grandma Mazur came out of the changing rooms modeling the leopard print. Steph made a circling motion with her forefinger and her grandmother obligingly pirouetted to show off the outfit.

"You don't sound very sorry," Tank said. "Are you sure you want to start this with him? He has a lot more experience in getting even."

"Oh, I think he'll forgive me eventually. It's not like we haven't done this same thing to each other before." Steph got up and walked to the other side of the store. "Don't worry about it. I'll use my feminine wiles to make sure that he doesn't remember exactly what happened."

Tank snorted. "You're pretty confident about that."

"Hey, this is me. I'll surprise him with a very special evening just for him and we'll be as good as new." Steph checked out an ebony silk bustier and v-string combination. "I have just the thing to make him forget."

"I'm not going to get in the middle of this. Just keep your head up and try to stay out of trouble."

She chuckled at his dry tone, knowing that Tank had at least learned when the Bombshell Bounty Hunter was in the house. "Merry Christmas. Wish me luck."

"You're going to need it," Tank said, and disconnected.

"Oh ye of little faith," said Steph as she shoved the phone into her purse. A row of richly colored peignoirs drew her towards the back wall, and she flipped through them until she found a floor-length cobalt blue with white feather trim. She slid the ebony set under the robe and nodded. Yep, that was guaranteed to knock any red-blooded male's libido into orbit. Since she knew exactly which male she was aiming for and how many times she wanted him to circle the Moon, she needed some completely astounding shoes to complete it.

Gathering up her choices, Steph turned to head back to the changing rooms and bumped into someone right behind her. "I'm sorry, I didn't—"

"Why, if it isn't Stephanie Plum," said the woman, and Steph groaned inwardly as she recognized Tilly Giambanco, who had graduated two years behind her. While she had her finger firmly on the pulse of the Burg since third grade, her grandmother, aunts and mother were all gossip bloodhounds of the first class.

"Hello, Tilly." Steph tried to keep her voice pleasant, which wasn't easy when her molars were grinding together. "Doing some last minute shopping?"

"Me? Oh, no!" Tilly managed to look both astonished and pleased at the same time, a combination that reminded Steph of an alley cat rummaging through the dumpster behind Shorty's the morning after a Beer and Pizza Night.

Tilly scrunched up her face, and Steph considered that she might be passing a kidney stone. "Oh, Stephanie! I'm so glad I am here, though! Do you need help picking out clothes for your 'special night'?"

Inwardly, Steph walked over to the wall and thunked her head solidly against it. Outwardly, her smile didn't slip a bit as she glanced at the lingerie in her hands. "Thanks so much, Tilly, but I think I can handle it. I used to buy lingerie professionally, you know."

"Oh, I _know_!" Tilly trilled a little laugh that ended in a snort. "But that was _years_ ago, and you've been struggling to hold men's attention ever since."

Steph's eyes narrowed. "I don't recall seeing you with a front row seat to any of my relationships. Unless you have my apartment bugged, and my car, and the hundreds of other places I have been in the last four years, you have no idea what I can and cannot do with the men in my life."

"I only meant that—"

"You need a nose job because you've been sticking it in other people's business since you were in diapers," said Grandma Mazur from just behind Steph. "You come from a long line of busybodies, Tilly Giambanco, and God Himself wonders when you're going to do something useful with your life."

"Why Mrs. Mazur, I can assure you—"

Steph held up a hand. "Stop while you're ahead, Tilly. Unless you would prefer that I start talking about why your cousin has been arrested six times in the last four months on Stark Street, and whether or not an unnamed member of your family has been banned from People's Bakery for licking the frosting off the cookies."

"I don't know what you think you're doing, Stephanie Plum," Tilly said hotly, "but those are _lies_. No one would _ever_ believe that anyone in my family would do _any_ of those things."

"I work in bond enforcement, and I know people who know people. I can assure you that my sources are impeccable." Steph raised both eyebrows, daring Tilly to challenge her. If she wanted to tango, Steph knew the steps to that dance.

Evidently good sense and self-preservation were stronger than the siren lure of gossip; Tilly scowled at both of them and stormed out of the store. The loose circle of curious shoppers watching the altercation dispersed, murmuring quietly among themselves.

For her part, Steph felt drained. The day had been like a rollercoaster, and she was tired of the melodrama. She glanced at her grandmother.

"Did you find what you want?"

Grandma Mazur nodded. "Yep. I think I'll go with the leopard print instead of the red. Santa probably sees too much red at home the way it is. What did you find?"

"This?" Steph held up the outfit and sighed, no longer enthusiastic about her original plan. "It's nothing. I'll put it back and—"

Before she could set down the bustier combo and the peignoir, her grandmother took it from her and held it up for inspection. "I like this. Tell you what—I'll buy it for you."

"Grandma, you don't have to buy it," Steph said, making a desperate grab for the lingerie. To her dismay, Grandma Mazur evaded her and marched towards the check out.

"I know I don't have to, but I have a feeling this isn't meant for Joe Morelli, which means that it's meant for the better man in your life. I think you should go for it, and this is my contribution to your happiness. So say 'thank you, Grandma' and let's get moving. It's going to take me a while to figure out my plan of attack."

"You can't buy me lingerie!" Steph knew her protests were falling on deaf ears, but she had to try.

Grandma Mazur winked as she put the clothes on the counter. "It's a time-honored tradition for grandmothers to give underwear for Christmas. Unless you want me to find you some granny panties instead?"

Steph should have thunked her head on the counter. She should have been mortally embarrassed and run screaming out of the store. Instead, she smiled and gave her grandmother a hug. "Thank you, Grandma. You're priceless."

"Darn right I am. We Mazur women know how to live, and we're not afraid to do it." She handed her credit card to the salesgirl. "Now hurry up. We need shoes."


End file.
